Types of ophthalmologic apparatuses include ophthalmologic imaging apparatuses for obtaining images of an eye and ophthalmologic measuring apparatuses for measuring characteristics of an eye.
Examples of ophthalmologic imaging apparatuses include an optical coherence tomography (OCT) apparatus that obtains tomographic images using OCT, a fundus camera that photographs a fundus, a scanning laser ophthalmoscope (SLO) that obtains images of a fundus by laser scanning with a confocal optical system, a slit lamp microscope that obtains images by photographing an optical section of a cornea using slit light, and the like.
Examples of ophthalmologic measuring apparatuses include an eye refractivity examination apparatus (refractometer, keratometer) that measures refractive properties of an eye, a tonometer, a specular microscope that obtains properties of a cornea (cornea thickness, cellular distribution, etc.), a wave-front analyzer that obtains aberration information of an eye using a Shack-Hartmann sensor, and the like.
Regarding ophthalmic examinations using these apparatuses, in terms of precision and accuracy of examinations, position adjustment between the optical system of the apparatus and an eye is very important. This position adjustment is referred to as alignment. Alignment includes the action of aligning the optical axis of the optical system of the apparatus with respect to the axis of an eye (xy alignment), as well as the action of adjusting the distance between the eye and the optical system of the apparatus (z alignment).
[Patent Document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2009-112664
[Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent No. 4136690